A Very Merry Night
by CaseyBensonNovak
Summary: The snow is knee deep outside, trapping the SVU squad inside. ADA Casey Novak and the detectives use the time to share their favorite Christmas memories. A certain detective shocks everyone. Implied femslash. Rated T.


_Author's note: This story idea came from tummer22, and I agreed to write it. It will likely just be a one shot, but I honestly have not decided yet. It is rated T for its themes, conversations, and dialogue. Christmas is in twenty four days, and I really loved this idea. Please review, letting me know what you think. _

The snow outside blanketed the ground, the buildings, and everything in between. It appeared to anyone who drove into the city that someone had decided to paint it white. Most cases had been closed and the few open homicides the detectives had could not be investigated until the weather cleared up somewhat. So, for now, the SVU squad remained inside, sipping steaming coffee. They flocked around Olivia's desk as if it were a Christmas tree, talking about their memories of Christmas past, and their hopes and dreams for Christmases present and future.

Casey sat closely next to Olivia. No one knew about them. No one knew what happened between them when they left work, and they were not ready to come out yet. For now, they were limited to the occasional sly win and sitting as close as possible, but discreetly. Everyone was present except Alex, who was out of town, and Cragen, who had an AA meeting. Casey sat beside Olivia. Amanda and Nick had pulled their chairs over to the desk. Fin and Munch stood behind them. It was a rudimentary circle at best, but it worked for the conversation.

"I remember when I was little," Casey said, continuing her story about the Novak style Christmas. She was wrapped in a black cashmere coat and matching stiletto boots. "Every Christmas from the time I was about three to six, I would wake up early in the morning just to see how much was under the tree. When I was five, I tried to peek. It was so dark. But when I lifted one of the presents, my dad grabbed me. I still remember his booming laugh as he scolded me playfully for being so curious."

It was Olivia's turn to speak. "I'll never forget the Christmas before my tenth birthday. When I woke up that morning, I went downstairs, expecting to find my mom with a bottle of vodka on the sofa. But she was at the table. She was holding a box. I remember walking into the dining room and asking what the box was. She said it was something for me. Of course, that was shocking, because she really gave me about one present a year, and she had already given me a teddy bear. So I opened the box, a little nervously. It was a necklace inscribed with my initials and a poem about a mother's love on the back. I still have that necklace," Olivia said, finishing her memory tearfully. "It's in my bathroom in my apartment."

"That's amazing," Nick answered. "My favorite memory," he said, pausing to think about it. "I think my favorite would have to be on Christmas Eve. It was the year and the night that my wife told me she was pregnant with Zora. I remember her pouring me a glass of coffee, forcing me to sit in front of the Christmas tree, and breaking the news. She was so happy. We had been trying for months. Are you crying?"

Munch, who had teared up, quickly shook his head. "No. You know, the government makes a fortune off of eye drops..." he said, clearly trying to cover up the obvious presence of his sensitive side.

"What's your favorite Christmas memory?" Fin asked.

Munch remained silent for a moment, thinking. "It was my fourth wife," he replied. "We were out to dinner. She couldn't cook, and my attempt to cook a turkey nearly resulted in a visit from the fire department. So we were at our favorite restaurant. It was early Christmas evening. It's my favorite memory because that was the first night in years that I actually felt like a man. It was the first night we were as happy as we had been the night we first were together, if you catch my drift."  
"God, John, you would go there," Amanda groaned. The blonde crossed her legs and launched into an explanation about her favorite holiday memory. "Mine is similar to Olivia's, except it was with both of my parents. They fought constantly. They argued, threw things, and screamed cruel names at each other. Even on holidays. But that Christmas..something was different. I had asked for civility for Christmas, and instead, it was as if my folks had been replaced with aliens. They were cuddling and talking and loving each other. It was like I was little all over again, because that was the last time I remembered them doing that. It truly was a Christmas miracle," Amanda added, falling silent.

Finally, it was Fin's turn. Everyone was particularly interested in his stories, mostly because his childhood always seemed so odd when he talked about it. Fin shrugged as every eye turned on him. "I was eighteen," he explained as an introduction. "It was snowing for the first time that winter. My friends and I all went outside. We played basketball on the concrete, and it was as we were playing that I met Ken's mother. It was love at first sight. I've never felt so happy in my life, especially when she agreed to go on a date with me."

Everyone smiled. Casey reached for her coffee, taking a small sip of it, shocked that it was still hot. Especially in this weather. "So you, John, and Nick all have lovesick Christmas memories. That's beautiful. And who says men can't love?"

"I do," Olivia answered, grinning. She took a rather large gulp of her own pitch black coffee and chuckled as she set it on the desk again.

Casey nodded, giggling. "Alright. We've all shared three of our favorite memories." She looked outside at the enormous city below, blanketed in snow and darkness. "I guess while we wait, we can talk about what we hope will happen on this Christmas."

And they began.

_Author's note: What did you all think? Please review. Thanks to tummer22 for the idea. As always, thanks for reading, please review, and let me know whether you want it to be a one shot, a two shot, or anything else. Every response is appreciated, every reviewer is loved, and I'm going to shut up before I start sounding like some obsessive freak =). _


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